


Aesthete

by redskiez



Series: Kairos [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff, I love these two babies, I'm as old as the Naruto series and this is what I'm doing, I've probably not grasped Obito/Tobi's character good enough here, It's been 7 years, M/M, Obito and Tobi as the same person, So sweet you guys, This is a repost okay, ignore that, sweet stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 23:46:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11725089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redskiez/pseuds/redskiez
Summary: (adj.) someone with deep sensitivity to the beauty of art or nature.





	Aesthete

His fingers dance against the still-soft clay, pressing and molding it to the shape he desires.

He’s done this enough times to be able to do so with his eyes closed, or when his attention is elsewhere. In battle, this skill comes in handy, too. But while not on the battleground and simply doing things at his leisure, there is no need for speedy crafts. He can spend more time on the details and just perfecting the outcome.

The clay will always be soft. He won’t cook it, it won’t remain forever. Either he destroys it in the end or the weather will get to it first. Eventually, it will lose shape and deform, becoming nothing more than part of the earth once again.

And that’s the beauty of his art. It won’t last forever because beauty never remains. Pretty things that remain for eternity is not artistic at all.

“Hey, hey, Deidara-senpai!” Tobi’s cheerful voice chirps through his concentrated mind and caused him to lose his train of thought, his thumb misjudging the distance of one eye to the other, digging in prematurely.

“What, hmm,” he grumbles, tilting his head slightly to move a few strands of stray blonde hair away. He stares down at his partner, who has stationed himself just a few stones beneath him.

They are outside. The weather is clear and the air is clean. There isn’t any particular reason they should stay in the hideout. It’s not like Kakuzu spares any more money than necessary to get proper ventilation done. It honestly is getting way too stuffy way too often in there. Someone will have to complain to Pein and get him to make Kakuzu comply to fix up all the hideouts.

“Is this how you do it?” Tobi asks, raising his gloved hand. He waves it around, holding delicately a figure of clay that is supposed to resemble a bird.

Well, if Deidara can tell it’s supposed to resemble a bird, Tobi surely isn’t that much of a failure at art.

But seriously, who molds clay with gloves on!?

“No,” Deidara clickes his tongue. He sighs through his nose when he sees Tobi physically deflate from the rejection, the clay lump still resting on his palm as he lowers his arm onto the rocky surface. Ah, what a sad sight. He’s growing soft, surprising for someone like him.

He stands, taking a tiny step forward and finds himself next to Tobi. He sits down crossed legged, grabbing Tobi’s wrist not too harshly but also not too softly to show he’s still in charge here.

Well, you know. At least a little. Deidara isn’t an idiot. He knows Tobi can handle himself, and he doesn’t need his “senpai” to lead the way always.

“Look,” Deidara begins, taking the lump of clay from Tobi’s hands and crushes it back into the pulp it originally is. “You can’t mold if you have your gloves on. It creates a barrier between the clay and your skin. That makes you unable to feel the change, so take off your gloves and try again.”

Tobi remains silent for enough time to pass to make Deidara wonder if he will refuse. This man never showed his skin in public, ever. He’s even reserved with taking off his shoes when he’s in their room inside one of the hideouts!

Then Tobi sighs, reaching for his own hand to take off the gloves. “You better teach me to make them as pretty as yours, senpai,” Tobi whines.

Deidara smirks, letting out a bark that might be a laugh. “You betcha.”

So he shows him. Deidara isn’t sure how to voice his instructions verbally since the feeling of art is always something that is natural to him. It just comes to him and he goes with it, letting it take over so that he’d create the best looking figures. Of course, with time, the outcome of his figures also improved with practice and tinged with his own style. That is what makes his art unique.

He is faintly aware of Tobi scooting closer to, well, to probably look at what he’s doing better, right? Tobi isn’t paying attention anymore, though. He lays his head on the younger’s shoulder, having to hunch down a little to get to his height. He wraps his arms around his torso, too.

It’s always a sight to behold. Deidara’s concentration on his art makes a beautiful scene. While Tobi knows he’s not as connected or sensitive to art as Deidara has always shown to be, he does know how to appreciate nature.

The nature of mostly everything. Appreciation doesn’t always have to stem of good intentions. Tobi watches Deidara mold his pathetic attempt at a clay bird into a much better version, fashioned with detailed wings and feathers and everything. But he loses interest in that quickly, turning his head slightly to the side so he could watch Deidara’s face.

Even though he’s so young, he’s been through a lot, hasn’t he? Well, at least he can still feel the simple joy of doing what he loves. Creating art.

Tobi can’t even begin to understand the importance of it, but if Deidara is so connected with it, then he will not complain. He moves closer just a little more, pressing the side of his head with Deidara’s. If the blonde even notices, he doesn’t complain.

They sit, with Deidara now completely engulfed by Tobi, on the rocky edge on top of their hideout. Life is never meant to be easy after everything they’ve been through, and what they’ve signed up for after joining this organization, but Tobi doesn’t mind, only if he gets to stop once and a while to enjoy a simple happiness — to see someone he cares about a lot enjoying it too.

**Author's Note:**

> Posted on Fanfiction.net on July 2nd, 2016.


End file.
